Water Resistance, USB connectivity, & Schedule Update

What’s Happened & What's In Progress

- Our battery partner has delivered all the custom units.

- The final watch circuit boards are all in our possession, currently being integrated into Flextronics inventory management.

- First article parts for the Base Station plastics have arrived, been tested and second article parts are on their way. After tuning of the tool, we can crank out the parts for all our backers quickly.

- The first titanium bands in all three sizes and all three colors are arriving shortly. We’ve improved the geometry to look and feel way better. (softer edge, perfect brushing and good spring back)

- Getting fully embedded in the Flextronics system has taken a lot of hard work to make sure we’re adhering to the standards put in place by those systems.

- Packaging has been finalized and is in production.

- We have a very detailed production plan in place. We’ve worked with Flextronics and all the 12 separate teams all week to nail down the final integration plan and ultimately get us to a fulfillment schedule. (there is a an edited down, but still detailed Gantt chart later in this post for those who crave the details)

Waterproofing

We know how interested everyone is in making sure the watch is water resistant, and we’ve gotten there.

It’s taken fractions of millimeter adjustments and a ground-up redesign (since the first prototypes) of the assembly process to ensure no water can get in.

We have not conducted highly scientific tests at this stage, but the CST-01 functions when submersed in water, and after being submersed in water continues to function. We have booked time at the Flextronics testing facility so we can get the water resistant certification (ISO 2281 water-resistant watches standard)

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Bonus USB Functionality

We have been keeping this close to the chest, but it is at a point where we can talk about it now. We have added USB data functionality, so when the base station is connected to a computer it enables a few additional features. In the future (most likely after we have delivered the watches), we will be able to give you an application that will automatically update the watch to the computer’s system time. For the hackers out there, there will be a command-line tool that will allow you to write custom applications so you can have a tethered watch show any time you want (time of the next train, time until your next meeting etc…). This was the type of thing that we put off because it falls in the “optional” category. To make sure we weren’t distracted by this, we got some coding help from our friend Tod Kurt who became an expert in this field making the fantastic internet-connected USB LED called the blink(1).

Base Station

Even though CAD for the tool was finalized many months ago, it takes 8 weeks to cut all the steel, assemble the moving parts and texture the tools. We have received the first parts of this tool, but it must now go through ‘tuning’ to get good quality parts aesthetically and mechanically.

What does that mean? We will be fine tuning the flexible overmold so that buttons feel good to push. The level of pigment in that resin will be adjusted to make sure the status LED is easily visible. The pressure and temperature of the plastic that is injected into the tools will be tuned to eliminate sink and flash marks where the plastic flows between the pieces of steel. We will also be adding textures to certain surfaces to get them to come out of the tool easier and look good.

Once the tooling is tuned then these parts can be produced at in less than a minute each.

Band Production

We’ve been tuning this process as well to get aesthetically beautiful parts that have the best springback properties. Flextronics is working on finalizing this in all three sizes and all three colors, Scheduled delivery of those first parts about 3 weeks from today. We needed your sizes in the survey to know how many of each band to have made.

Customer Packaging

We’ve worked hard with Jansy LLC Packaging to develop final packaging that will protect your watch while in transit and look good, Here are some images of that final packaging, These arrive in about 5 weeks.

FCC & CE certification

The FCC reports have been filed and some of the additional CE certification is getting finalized. We borrowed an ESD (Electro-static Discharge) gun to perform some of our own tests outside of the testing lab in order to feel even more confident about the watch’s reliability.

The Schedule

Due to the challenging nature of what we are doing (<1mm curved, flexible electronics), there have been many new processes and manufacturing techniques that need to be not only developed but proven and qualified so they can be added to the Flextronics system. This has been a more challenging and detailed task than is usual for a typical product development process. Flextronics have been willing to experiment and add these new capabilities faster than they have done in the past, so Kudos to them for stepping up to the plate on this and quickly qualifying new ways to manufacture.

We will still be assembling our watches in California, but are leveraging the global expertise Flextronics has to make sure we are using the best resources available to us. For us, this means working with teams in both the USA and China. Our schedule has been challenged by the most recent holiday season in both countries. For instance, one major part of the puzzle is a custom automation machine being developed to reliably manufacture some of our assemblies. This is being fabricated at a Flextronics location in China, another of Flex’s locations in China is also handling vital parts of the Titanium production.

We’ve concentrated this past week on tying up loose ends and making sure all the development and all the separate partners are lining up. It’s kind of like spinning plates, it has to be constantly monitored and we have to make sure we are delivering all information and engineering tweaks or feedback on quality control to all the partners in a timely fashion. This means delivering drawings and information to 12 separate teams on a daily basis. This level of management can be quite demanding, and is especially so when we are developing new manufacturing techniques to do something that has never been done before.

Below is an incredibly detailed Gantt chart that has taken us the better part of a week to wrestle together, it shows when all the separate parts and sub-assemblies come together and we begin to ship in batches. As you can see there are lots of dependencies and opportunities to try and compress certain items (such as the fabrication and testing of that automation machine in row 3) We have weekly conferences on how to expedite certain aspects of the schedule without risking reliability or build quality.

The TL;DR

There is still a good chunk of work to be done and it looks like the watches will ship around the last week of April. A version of this detailed schedule is being used by Flextronics to make sure deadlines don’t slip further, and we’re doing what we can to compress things as much as possible. The one gating item is the fabrication of the machine that encapsulates all the electronics, We are focusing efforts to speed this up as much as possible.

We’re working on how many can be produced and shipped per week, This is expected to be in the region of 1,000 per week, possibly more if we can run 3 shifts per day.

This Coming Month of Activities

- While one of the machines is being assembled overseas Jerry and I have made a prototype version so we can continue with all other parts of the schedule.

- Getting into the water resistance testing facility and running tests.

- Drop testing the consumer packaging.

This month, like every one previous, is looking like one with very little time for sleep.

-Dave, Jerry & the CST team

FAQ

We’ve been getting a lot of similar questions, so we’ll be publishing a FAQ at the bottom of our updates in order to answer the majority of questions we receive.

When will you be shipping?
Please read the above update for details on a shipping schedule, it is expected to be the last week of April,

What order will you be sending out watches? Can I get mine first?
Rewards will be sent out in the order they were received. This is the only fair way to schedule it. We’re doing everything we can to get them out as soon as possible.

Has the survey gone out yet?
Yes. If you need to change your address, size or color, please send us a message through the kickstarter system (please do not post comments about it)

I would like to change my color to...
See above

How can I change my shipping address?
See above

Using the size chart, my wrist is just barely inside of (one size) and barely outside of (another size), which size do I choose?
Using the size chart, you should choose the size where the band is inside the "size range" square (not outside). There’s no overlap in the sizing chart, and no space between sizes, so you should be inside of one of the areas. If it's really right on the line, and you don't know what to choose, we recommend the smaller size since the bands can be spread out slightly to accommodate larger wrists easier than they can be made smaller.

I'm a distributor/reseller/vlogger and would like a sample for…
Production samples are not ready yet. The DVUs we do have are not final parts and are not ready for evaluation by suppliers or testers.

Where can I buy one? / I just found out about this Kickstarter and still want to pre-order one. / I would like to order additional colors.
We’re still in the process of producing the CST-01, so they’re not shipping currently. If you’re interested in getting your name on the list for when we do ship, you can pre-order watches on our site: centralstandardtiming.com. Orders will be fulfilled in the order they were placed. Thanks for the interest!

I see that there’s one watch left at the $99 level, how do I get that one?
The Kickstarter campaign has ended. That statement is a bug in the Kickstarter system that we’ve requested to have removed. We’ve been told that removing this statement is not possible, so you’ll just need to take our word that the campaign is over and there are no "early bird" rewards left. However, we’re still taking pre-orders on our site: centralstandardtiming.com.

Good evening from Japan.My father and I are looking forward to the watches.

I have one question. form your updates, the watch will be finished in late April. Is the schedule is really correct?? are there any possibility the plan to be delayed?? my father and I are longing the watche so much.

I was going to be 'that guy' and ask if there was any status to report regarding the tasks with roughly 'beginning of March' completion dates on the Gantt chart, but the high-res copy is no longer on dropbox - I hope that means you're working on another update, and I'll not bug you further. :)

Key wording is water resistance vs. water proof. There's a big difference. Resistant means it will resist the entry of water to a certain extent...water proof can be taken underwater or submerged. Water resistant cannot...

To all those folks who are upset about how long it's taking. The guys at CST are making a first here. They have had to develop the product as well as ways to make the product. There was no manual to follow. I'd think they had to learn a lot of new ways to do things. Procedures, regulations, certifications etc...
At least they are doing it properly. Part of the Kickstarter experience is ride. I'm sure they have learnt how to do things as well as how not to do things next time with the CST-02.
Biweekly mini updates would be nice though.

To all those folks who are upset about how long it's taking. The guys at CST are making a first here. They have had to develop the product as well as ways to make the product. There was no manual to follow. I'd think they had to learn a lot of new ways to do things. Procedures, regulations, certifications etc...
At least they are doing it properly. Part of the Kickstarter experience is ride. I'm sure they have learnt how to do things as well as how not to do things next time with the CST-02.
Biweekly mini updates would be nice though.

I originally bought this for an early birthday present to myself, but now it has become a very late present. However, I know good products will come out on time, but great products will take more time.

Superbacker

@Frederick,
Because the architecture of the watch has been designed the way it has, with a segmented display of a strictly limited number of segments, the feature would be impossible to implement. The USB connectivity as such would not affect this in any way at all.
Had CST gained access to a much more advanced processor to "drive" the display with the given limitations in power etc that would increase the number of segments enough to enable this feature, I would expect they would have told us.

Superbacker

Fantastic update, as always — a big thumbs-up and thanks a huge bundle!
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For those of you out there who still don't quite get what KS is all about: please note that the late-April fulfilment timeline in the Gantt chart is still just an estimate. A bit firmer nailed down than those we've seen before, granted, but still just an estimate. It WILL shift! Don't get all in a huff when it does!
That is all in the nature of the beast: you can't "fail" or "be delayed" in relation to an estimate — the estimate just gets revised. The original September estimate was revised to December, which was revised to January, then Q1, now April. Until CST says in plain language that "we WILL start shipping on 26 April" or whenever, it is irrelevant to talk about delays, failures, or broken promises. So please do everybody a favour and don't.
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As for CST, I would like to echo what a couple of others have already said here: for your own self-preservation, please keep the community here abreast with what happens with the tail end of the Gantt chart. Just post an update, or even just a comment, once every two weeks saying "still on track for last week of April", or "shifted to second week of May", or whatever.
No matter how many times it is said, some people just refuse to comprehend that KS is not a storefront. Providing regular mini-updates on the timeline at least ought to keep that crowd mostly in check.

Thanks for the update. I told my wife the end of Q1 was going to come and go. Please don't give and ETA if you are not sure. I don't mine the wait for a better product but please be sure of the ETA before announcement. Thanks again for the update.

Thanks, guys for your excellent and regular updates. Not only is is highly reassuring for customers but also it demonstrates your commitment to producing and delivering a really high quality product. I'm sure that if you keep up this standard, undoubtedly the result of much hard work, your future will be assured.

...and if you're not totally worn out...soon it will be time got start thinking about the next product.

Thanks for the update CST. As always it's a detailed updated. And you guys just keep surprising us with better features every time: better base station, band material upgrade, and water resistance (that means I can take it to shower, right?). The fact that you are catering to every single piece of details (buttons, pigments, packaging ...etc) reflects your dedication to this project.
I hope it's not too much to ask, but since you have such a compact schedule, and the assembly relies on various parties (meaning that some timeframes are still uncertain), would it be possible to provide us with a, say, bi-weekly update on just whether the progress is still in line with the schedule? I trust that many of us here are perfectly fine with the wait for a better quality, we just hope to be part of the journey and stay informed.
All the best to the upcoming activities, and I wish your last planned activity would come sooner than planned :)

Thanks for the update. Product development, particularly with significant technology AND manufacturing development, is very difficult to schedule. You gave your best estimate and we are getting the watches around April, That seems about right given what you've needed to do.....and on top of that you've added features and went with the Ti band. Thanks for the detailed updates. They really help to give us a window into the realities of developing a new product.

@Marcus Frasier - It would give real clarity to their train of thought. From this chart, it seems that even the loosest of early projections was largely incorrect. It would also provide a learning experience for other people looking to initiate a Kickstarter. This update is actually still light on details - such as why are tools being kicked off so late. Typically the DFM process would have been kicked off months and months ago, and it appears to not have been. It's absolutely normal to adjust the design during DFM and tooling design. To me, it seems like there was a significant lack of parallel planning.

Thanks for the detailed heads up.
Funny how some people still think that backing up an idea is like ordering something from Amazon / eBay.
This is a concept /idea that you backed. The CST guys can try and estimate deadlines, but bringing it to life is something different. Technology, machinery, manpower need to be in line.
CST is doing the best they can, KGB the available resources at hand.
Great job so far guys!

Thanks for the detailed update. I'm not sure why some people are getting upset about the delay. We were investing in a concept and it's paying off. If people just wanted to buy a watch then they should have gone to Amazon.

I'd much rather have the delays to make sure the final product is everything we hoped for. Also I'm really excited about the USB connectivity.

Ah, pity that you'll miss Q1 - both because of the grief you'll get for it, and because I was hoping to show the watch off in April!

Honestly, though, this feels right on schedule to me. I never for a moment believed you'd hit September. I've rarely if ever seen a product developed in less than a year, and definitely not one that wasn't just a refresh of an existing design.

You did not order a watch, Karel, you backed the idea of producing a really cool watch with novelty value. It is not like clicking preorder on Amazon. Have a little more patience, I am sure your wife will be all the happier for it.

Thanks CST. I can wait. I've read some previous comments that other KS's are getting disappointed. This is some pretty revolutionary development and manufacturing. Looks like their on their way to shipping a very great product. keep up the momentum (and updates).

Ok ... So I filled in the survey WAY to early. why would you send it out so early. On the 15th of March I'm moving house, you guys need to Re-Survey where to delver much closer to delivery. Asking months in advance of delivery is NO GOOD! I'm on my iPhone and cannot see how to contact you from the iPhone app. Please provide an email address so I can give you my new contact details

Well, at least this update was thorough, if not particularly promising. Given their past projections, it can be assumed that the May delivery will push out as well.

I'm wondering if CST can go into more details about why they've so badly missed their own projections (more detail than saying "this feature was hard")? Or rather, what lessons have been learned and how they might do things differently next time.

May isn't that far off in the grand scheme of things, but it's disappointing nonetheless.